Don't even touch it with bare hands. If you're disposed to do so, wear gloves, disposable latex type are best.

The toxins in many of these poisonous mushrooms can be absorbed topically. Even experienced mushroom collectors will never put unidentified fungi in collection bags/baskets with identified edible types. Just poisonous types touching edible varieties that are then eaten can cause serious reactions in people.

uh-ooh.....
After I was done leaning over taking the pic, I lost my balance and fell face first into it

Thanks for the head's up, Breezy. I didn't know about mushroom toxins being absorbed into the skin. That's important info, especially if someone wanted to do one of those spore prints.

Breezy, the University of Georgia mycology site says that mushroom toxins are not absorbed thru the skin--good thing, cause I have picked and inspected many a mushroom.

It is true that careful mushroom hunters do not mix up their species as they pick--each kind of mushroom goes into a separate bag. It would be too easy to end up with broken bits getting mixed together. A little bit of Death Angel mixed in with your meadow mushrooms could really spoil your whole day.